Cafes and Buses Past Review
By A student (Economics, University of Hartford) - abroad from 03/02/2015 to 07/30/2015 with
Heidelberg University: Heidelberg - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Study abroad was stressful and difficult, and most definitely worthwhile. I learned life skills like budgeting, traveling, and living on my own. I learned more about myself than I ever thought I would. By taking away everything that I was used to, I learned what I need in order to succeed. I also learned alot about other cultures, as well as so much about what it means to be American.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
In terms of rigor and intensity, I would give a solid 5 stars. Heidelberg University is very prestigious and they did not give any slack for exchange students. It has been a lot of work and being surrounded by very intelligent peers and professors. Unfortunately, the overall academic experience, would be far fewer stars. I was not very well advised about making sure that my host university would provide many courses that would be available to me and at an appropriate level. I have not been able to take as many classes as I had hoped and the ones I am in are not of interest. The organization of the school is also very outdated and bureaucratic and I was unaware that the finals/projects for my classes are not actually due for months after the end of classes which makes things stressful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The peer advisors have been incredible and approachable, but the administration does not lay out information well for us and often gives information when it is too late to be effective. It is mostly because of the difference in German bureaucratic culture, but it would have been helpful, especially when being abroad to have had someone to help me make my class schedule, figure out the situation with scheins/transcripts, etc. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing is decent and I am thankful that I have a place in the city as many German students do not, but it would have been nice to have received more guidance when we filled out our applications about where was prime to live. My friends who live in the Europahauses do not pay much more than me and have kitchens, balconies, wifi, and are right in the heart of Old Town, whereas I am in Rohrbach which is a 20 minute commute and very basic housing. |
| * Food: |
delicious, cheap, and many healthy options |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
it took awhile, but I did get well integrated. Being in a very touristy area as well as at a huge international school, I was constantly surrounded by English and it was tough to learn the language |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
My healthcare was not easily approved here as I had been told it would be. LUCKILY, the travel insurance that University of Hartford provides me with was enough to get my residence permit here in Germany. The school gave recommendations as to which doctors offices to go to, but it would have been nice to have been forewarned about the difference in culture as a doctor appt is a very different experience here which can be scary when you are already having a scary medical issue. I have yet to get my bill, but am hoping all will go well. I'd recommend that future students just pay for the AOK German insurance. In the scheme of things it is not very expensive and they will get covered just like a German. Aside from the small monthly bill, EVERYTHING is free. A friend here has gotten wisdom teeth out and MRIs all for only the 60 euros a month. |
| * Safety: |
I definitely feel safe in Heidelberg, don't even have to worry about pick-pocketers like I've had to in every city that I've visited. BUT, i would have felt better if i lived in Old Town as it is hard and nerve-wracking to get home late at nate. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
$200 a week, but I was traveling, eating out sometimes, etc |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | make yourself a budget and stick to it! I found it helpful to withdraw my weekly budget every Monday so that I could physically watch myself spend money |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 0 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | practice with other friends who are learning and have fun with it! Also, if you are in a place where alot of English is spoken, they will often just switch to English if they hear that you don't know much of the foreign language. Just keep trying and don't be discouraged. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do the residence permit early, insurance paperwork won't work. Culture shock is normal and will actually happen to you. It helps to talk to other exchange students who are also going through it and it is okay to tell your friends and family at home that things aren't as glamorous as they appear in the facebook album. Ask for help. I wish I had known how badly I would have wanted to receive handwritten mail on tough days. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
